UEFA newcomer Gibraltar unveils new home

Tiny Gibraltar spending big on a new football stadium to meet UEFA standards.

The Gibraltar Football Association has unveiled the design for a new 8,000-seat stadium so the new UEFA minnows can play international games at home.

Gibraltar currently plays international matches in Faro, Portugal, because its existing Victoria Stadium was built in the 1940s and does not meet UEFA norms.

But the association says the new Europa Point Stadium, with 8,066 seats, will have upgraded facilities and hopes it will be built in time for qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.

"We hope to be able to start construction toward the back end of the summer and have the stadium ready by September 2016," said Steven Gonzalez, the association's communications manager.

The cost is expected to be under STG40 million ($A75 million).

Gibraltar, which lies on the southern tip of Spain and has a population of around 30,000, became the 54th member of European football's governing body UEFA in May.

That annoyed world and European champions Spain, whose government lays claim to the territory.

In its first Euro championship campaign, Gibraltar is in a tough qualifying group with Germany, Poland, Scotland, the Republic of Ireland and Georgia.


2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Watch now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world